Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT)

The Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT)  was founded by Jean-Jacques Gautier in 1977. We have developed a unique global overview and expertise on the prevention of torture. The APT played a key role in the drafting and adoption of several international and regional legal instruments, including the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT).

APT’s vision and mission

We work for a world free from torture, where the rights and dignity of all persons deprived of liberty are respected. Our mission is to enable actors worldwide to effectively prevent torture and ill-treatment.

Our strategies for change

APT’s work is based on four closely linked strategies, which we believe are both necessary and effective in the prevention of torture:

• Promoting transparency and monitoring of places of detention, to reduce the risk of torture and ill-treatment on persons deprived of their liberty.

• Advocating for effective legal and policy frameworks, so that torture and other forms of ill-treatment are criminalised and prevented in law and practice.

• Strengthening capacities of torture prevention actors and facilitating exchanges to identify and replicate good practices.

• Contributing to informed public policy debates, so that torture can be universally rejected.

For more information, please contact Eva Csergö